Several Mississippi runners sporting their Boston Marathon gear arrived at the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport Tuesday. Many of the returning runners said they were thankful to be home, but will never forget this year's Boston Marathon.

Ridgeland resident Danny Williams said he crossed over the finish line minutes before Monday's explosions.

"We were looking back down towards the finish line. Maybe five minutes after I crossed the finish line. And all of a sudden, the first explosion takes place. I see the smoke and hear the sounds about the same time. We're in between the buildings and the echo of the sound sort of came down our way," Williams said.

His wife was stopped just before she reached the finish line.

"I bet you it was 30 minutes that I sat there. I was like, you know, what's going on. And why aren't we finishing. I'm so close. How can you stop us now? You know that went through my mind," Jackie Williams said.

It took Danny and Jackie Williams two and a half hours to reconnect. A volunteer allowed Jackie to use a cell phone and text Danny that she was alright.

Pam Cox was a block away and had just crossed the finish line when the chaos started.

"Today, I'm finally realizing that you know it was close to a lot of us. It was close to me. It was close to my friends that were finishing. It's hitting home now. It's scary," Pam Cox said.

Donna Bruce's husband watched as she celebrated her finish and took a quick picture before moving down the street -- moments before the blast.

"You realize how close you were to something like that. It puts it all into perspective. You finish the race and you're worried about the woes. And did you do good and not. And then you see that, and you're just like that's so not what's important," Donna Bruce said.

Clark and Donna Bruce continued walking to Boston Common park where they stayed for around two hours. They say they just wanted to get away from the crowds and hotels because they didn't know what could happen next.

All of the Mississippi runners have been accounted for, but not all of them have made it home yet. One Vicksburg runner rented a car Tuesday to get home after her flight out of Dallas was canceled.